“I felt really smooth, that’s the only thing that keeps running through my mind,” Harrison said after the second fastest performance of all-time and just 0.03 off Yordanka Donkova’s long-standing world record from 1988.
“I’m not sure how I can top this, but I’m sure my coach has a few tricks up his sleeve,” she added.
Harrison’s early season runs of 12.36 and 12.42 in April foreshadowed a quick time on Saturday, but she didn’t anticipate going this quick this early in this season.
“My coach always says to shoot for 12.1 so that’s the pace I’m going at practice, but you know it’s practice,” said Harrison.
Running out of lane six, Harrison was quick away but still challenged by 2013 world champion Brianna Rollins until the fifth hurdles, but then she just pulled away for a stunning win that had her clapping her hands with delight as soon as she crossed the line.
Rollins, the American record holder entering the event, finished second in 12.53 and Jasmin Stowers took third in 12.55.
Even with the record now in her name, Harrison is wary expecting automatic success in Rio, perhaps remembering the way that she went to the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016 as a clear medal contender in the 60m hurdles but didn’t even make the podium.
“It (the 100m hurdles) is such a short race, anything can happen. All the Americans are top in this event,” she added.
JEBET AND KIYENG BOTH GO SUB-NINE
The world record also got a scare in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.
Bahrain’s Ruth Jebet was on world record pace as she broke away from the pack as the final laps ticked off.
With one lap remaining, a time under nine minutes looked possible and with a 68.8 last lap she could break the world record.
But the expected last lap duel between Jebet and the clock became a bit more complex when Kenya’s Hyvin Kiyeng started cutting into her lead.
Yes, Jebet was chasing history, but she was also under real pressure of being passed.
Over the final barrier, another Kiyeng drew even closer, but she didn’t quite have enough in the tank to catch the 2014 world junior champion Jebet who, remarkably is still only 19.
Jebet’s finishing time of 8:59.97 put her just outside of Gulnara Gulkina’s world record of 8:58.81 but she did set an Asian record and become the second woman to break nine minutes in the event.
Kiyeng was just 0.04 back in second place and set an African record as well as moved up to third on the all-time list; and while most of the attention was on the dramatic last 200 metres between Jebet and Kiyeng, after numerous other attempts in the last two seasons, Emma Coburn finished third and set an American record of 9:10.67.
BOWIE’S BEND THE KEY TO VICTORY
In one of the most anticipated match-ups of the meet, Tori Bowie defeated Dafne Schippers and Elaine Thompson over 200m, the world championships gold and silver medallists in Beijing last summer, on her way to a personal best and world-leading time of 21.99.
Bowie’s emphasis was on the curve.
“I tried to attack that bend because I always seem to make mistakes, like being a little lazy on the bend and letting my competitors get too much ahead of me so my main focus today was to attack this bend, don’t give them anything. If they want the win they are going to have to work for it,” said the American sprinter who also holds the 100m world-lead with the 10.80 earlier this month in Doha.
The strategy paid off. Bowie held the advantage coming into the home straight and never relinquished it.
Schippers, from the Netherlands, could not cut into the lead and finished second in 22.11 while Jamaica’s Thompson took third in 22.16.
Kevin Sully for the IAAF and the IAAF Diamond League